1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic device security and in particular to apparatus, parts, methods and system for improving the security of electronic devices to which other electrical devices can be attached by connectors to transfer data using electrical signals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are a wide variety of applications in which different electrical devices are connected to together to allow data to be sent, received, or exchanged using electrical signals. When security is an issue, the communication of data can be protected in a number of ways, including hardware approaches and software approaches and combinations thereof. An example of a software approach would be to transfer data using encryption. An example of a hardware approach would be to use physical measures to limit access or use of devices to authorised personnel. However, there are many ways in which security measures can be overcome or reduced.
For convenience and space saving reasons, there is often a requirement to use a single keyboard, mouse and video display (a KVM console) to control two or more computers. A group of products known as KVM switches are commonly available to address this requirement. In various government and commercial applications, it is also desirable to use KVM switches to connect to computers that are operating at different levels of classification or security whilst ensuring, as far as possible, that information does not leak between these systems. Typical applications for such secure KVM switches may be found within government agencies, banks, law enforcement, armed services, health providers and any other public or private organisation that wishes to protect the data that it is processing whilst also taking advantage of the desktop convenience that a KVM switch provides. Secure KVM switches have been available for many years from companies such as Black Box Corporation, Avocent, Belkin and others. Many such secure KVM switches are designed to meet the requirements of Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level 4 and variously include a range of features that are designed to minimize the risk of data leaking between the connected computers or to the outside work.
It would therefore be beneficial to be able to provide an electronic device, or parts thereof, with enhanced security.